Wrench.



R. S. CLARK.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.27, 1910.

Patentd P91128. 1911.

ROY S. CLARK, -OF ANDERSON, WEST VIRGINIA.

WRENCH.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ROY S. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, inthe county of Preston and State of Test Virginia, have invented certain neiv and useful Improvements in 7i-cliches, of which the following is a-specitication, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is an improved wrench, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character in which the movable jaw and the shank ot' the Wrench are provided with coacting devices to automatically lock the movable aw in any adjusted position, and permit the ready operation of the aw in either direction, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices, hereinafter described and claimed.`

In the accompanying drawings-l4`igure 1 isa side elevation of a Wrench constructed in'accordance with my invention, some of the parts being shown broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same at right angles to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the .line .raa of Fig. 1.

The shank 1 of my improved wrench to Which the fixed aw 2 is attached, at one end, is provided on opposite sides with ratchet teeth 3, 4, one set of the ratchet teeth being slightly in advance of the set on the opposite side. The usual sliding jaw 5 is provided With a sleeve 6, which operates on the shank, and in the outer end of the said sleeve at opposite sides thereof, are recesses 7, for the reception of the inner ends of a pair of pawls 8, 9, which are respectively pivotally mounted as at 10, 11, and respectivelyl engage the ratchet teeth 3, 4. The said pawls are connected together by springs 12, the ends of which springs are here shown as provided with eyes 13, engaged by studs 14, whichl project from the sides of the paWl. Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the ends of the springs to the pawls, and I do not desireto limit myself in this particular. The springs are V`V`curved longitudinally and their arched portions preferably bear against the outer end of the sleeve G of the movable jaw The tension of the springs on the pawls serve to close the paWls against the shank of the Wrench and engage their free ends with the ratchet teeth 3, 4E. Hence when the movable jaw is moved toward the fixed jaw, the springs permit the pawls to slide over the ratchet teeth and the springs close the pawls against the ratchet teeth so as to lock the movable jaw in any desired adjusted position.

.ln order to release the pawls, it is only necessary to press the central bowed portions of the springs 12 outwardly so that the springs are caused to tend to straighten and in doing so, theyl move the pa-Wls outwardly in opposite directions, and disengage them from the ratchet teeth. Hence the springs in my improved Wrench not only serve as engaging means for the pawls, but also serve as disengaging means therefor, so that they perform a double function.'

One or more of the springs may be employed as may be desired and I do not desire to limit myself in this particular. Neither do I desire to limit myself to the precise construction and proportion of parts herein shown, as it is evident that moditica- 'tions may be made Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a Wrench in combination with a shank having ratchet teeth on opposite sides, a slidable on the shank, locking paivls carried by thej aw for engagement with the said ratchet teeth, and a curved springconnecting the said pawls together, serving to engage them With the ratchet teeth. and also enabling the paWls to be simultaneously moved from each other so as to disengage the ratchet teeth. i l

2. In a Wrench of the class described, in combination with a shank having ratchet teeth at opposite sides, and also provided with a fixed jaw, a movable jaw on the said shank, having a sleeve, pawls pivotally connected to the said sleeve, and a longitudinally curved spring having its ends connected to Vthe saiddoawls, and its central portion nory(it) molly bearng'against the outer end of said In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my sleeve, said spring serving normally to ensignature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

gage the pawls With vthe ratchet teeth of thev shank, and also serving, When its central porl ROY S' CLARK tion is moved outwardly from the end of the 7Witnesses:

sleeve to open the pawls and dsengage them JOHN J. DAILY,

from the ratchet teeth. G. M. LAYToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by mires-sing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

